Things that make you go Mmmmmmm (or Oooooh or Aaaaahhhh)

Hello there

I have been knocked for six this last week with influenza - yucky nasty virus.  So today, as energy levels are still way below par I am sending you a post full of delicious things of the visual and edible kind. 

These cakes were a treat yesterday afternoon - taking advantage of the very warm February sunshine, I was coaxed out to Wentworth with my other half and daughter.  Tea and cakes under a bright blue sky on the verandah of the cafe was just the tonic - now that's what I call medicene!!

And Ohhhhhh would you look at those beautiful primroses? So very, very bright and spirit-lifting after so many of those dreary, colourless days we've had around here.

And more flowery lovliness - a little bunch of buttery yellow tulips - these have been glowing like sunshine on my table this last week and make me smile everytime I see them.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm of the highest order here.  This is about as good as chocolate gets.  Have you ever tried Raw Chocolate?  No?  Well neither had I - and I decided to order some from my friend Kate Tregellas who is an artisan chocolatier based in North Devon.  I was curious to try it as the health properties are second to none.
They also taste pretty damn good too - Im so happy to have given raw a go and if you are curious, you can contact her directly by visiting her FB page for more details of the fabulous flavour creations she makes.  Hot off the press news, she is currently working on a divine Easter chocolate range!!!

Oooooooohhh!! Now what have we here?!!

In my last post you might remember that I fell swoonily in love with a certain crocheted waistcoat.  Well, a bit of investigating on the interweb brought up nothing...I was starting to wonder if this waistcoat actually existed so I got in touch with the company to ask about it.  My mole at CK tells me it is going to be launched at the end of March but I'm too impatient to be hanging around that long, so as you can see - I've been getting busy....

...making my very own Cath inspired waistcoat.  Now, I want to just clarify - this is going to be my Own Pattern - I'm not copying anything here folks.  I was very inspired by the colours of the original one in the magazine (which is what caught my eye in the first place) and have picked similar ones from the Rowan Handknit Cotton range (thinking cotton would be nice for summer).  I also thought it would be fun to design my first garment, something I haven't attempted yet apart from a scarf which doesn't count, as it's just a long rectangle.


I have already started one of the front panels as you can see, and it's going really well.  I will of course do my best to work out an understandable pattern for you in due course, but when it comes to things like this, I tend to just launch head on into it with the idea in my head and hope for the best.  But I will do one, I promise.


I'm working it in a cluster stitch.  I tried a sample of granny stripe as I originally thought that would look good but afterwards I didn't think it suited the look of a waistcoat.

Although I do love the granny stripe - can I feel a blanket coming on?? No, no...I must stop tormenting myself like this!

Well that's it from me - I'm feeling in need of a cuppa - got to keep those energy levels ticking over, and a slice of that Raw Chocolate might be necessary too...Ooh, just before I go, many thanks to all of you for the kind comments you left on my last post about the Oyster Catcher textile art work.  Thanks also to all of you who stop by and visit my little world and read my ramblings, it's so very nice that you do.


Sending you sun~filled days and things that make you smile.


Love Julia x

Rainbow Days

Hello :)

There is rather an exciting 'something' happening in my crochet bag. My gorgeous new wool supply is rapidly becoming a gorgeous Rainbow Ripple blanket (henceforth known as RR). Ive even splurged on a couple of extra colours, a lighter shade of green to balance out the darker olive shade (I wasn't too happy with it sitting on its own in such a dark manner!), and a bright blue. These will be added to the ripply layers that follow.


Oh my goodness, its so nice to crochet ripples though, after many moons of creating grannies that needed 4 colours or more its a pleasure to glide up and down these little ripply hills with no need for changing wool shade every few minutes. Which makes it quite a fast thing to do, and ulitmately very relaxing (although you must stay on the ball with your counting, several times Ive cocked up and had to undo a whole row!!)


We are really feeling spring here in fits and starts now - starting to notice that the evenings are lighter for just a little longer which is heaven, and then there is an occasional 'feel' in the air when the sun shines that makes you suddenley very happy and heart skippy. The irises in my green pot outside the back door have produced their first beautiful flower, and Im called to filling jam jars and the like with outrageously bright tulips!

I can't choose a favourite flower as I like so many, but these do bring a much needed shot of colour into the house after such a long, cold and dreary winter. Just the tonic I think!


Another necessary tonic in our home is of course, chocolate. Its a staple food here as much as bread and potatoes are!! And how tempting are the shops right now with their shimmering pink and red foil wrapped delights, all dolled up for Valentine's Day! I couldn't help myself, two little bags of caramel hearts found their way home with me the other day, I was completely seduced by them!!

I think with the days getting gradually longer, and a chat with a friend yesterday about holidays it was only a matter of time before I got seriously thinking about where we might take ourselves this year. Serendipitously, my copy of Coast magazine appeared with the post (a timely visual treat) and a visit to the library to return the Little One's book stash resulted in me finding the Time Out book of the Seaside, now thats a nice book to get your hands on - its crammed full of all the best beaches in the UK and the pictures and descriptions are fantastic! Needless to say I am now spoilt for choice, the South West beckons, yet so does the Norfolk coast, the Gower and Northumberland...Scotland looks as wild and as beautiful as the Caribbean in some photographs and the Isle of Wight conjures up some wonderful nostalgia from the time we lived there for a couple of months one hot and splendid summer...

Anyway, as I was flicking through Coast, my eye caught sight of this photograph...spot the crocheted granny blanket in the corner! I love this little room, leading out onto a tiny garden!

Meanwhile, on the art front...

Oh goodness, time is slipping away from me at the speed of sound these days. I am making slow progress at the moment with my painting, although the character is ready in all her guises in my sketchbook. Ive done a couple of paintings of naughty Mo so far, this one is almost finished and the minx is clearly running away from some grave misdeed judging by the crafty look on her face! I just need to tweak a few bits, add a bit more depth and detail here and there and the background needs playing about with too. But you can get the gist of her now I think.

This weekend Ive got a few hours grace to work on these properly, so the images will be all packaged up and heading South in a few days. It's the Bologna Book Fair in March too, so Ive also got to make a mini portfolio of my illustrations to send to the Agency so they can take some examples of my work with them when they go. I wish I could make myself small enough to travel with them!! :D


Anyway, Im off to visit a few of your blogs now - cup of tea on the table and a nice chocolate brownie baked by me and the Little Miss! Thank you to all of you who have stopped by, its always lovely to see you! Do leave me a little note if you like and I'll make sure I pop by your blog to say hello!


Have a magical weekend, filled with sparkling surprises and love!

Julia x

Little Helping Hands

Look at this!!!

We decided to make some Easter cupcakes yesterday afternoon. My little helper was very good until I went to take a picture of the scrummy looking ingredients and she thought I wouldn't see her little hand creeping up over the worktop in a vain attempt to get herself some chocolate goodies!

'OOOOOooooh not yet!' I said - 'We have to decorate them first and then we'll have one after tea!'

A solemn face with chocolate smeared cheeks and chin looked at me and blinked slowly (yes, she'd already licked the spoon and wiped clean the mixing bowl). Not happy though, we had a bit of foot stamping and wailing but eventually the antics of Mr Tumble on C-Beebies lured her into the lounge and I got on with the icing of my little cakes.

The stocks of these are diminishing fast...I live in a house of chocaholics!

This morning we woke up to a light grey mist which the weather chap promised would give way to warm sunny spells - well, we haven't seen much in the way of sunshine so far but when I went into the garden this morning, I was delighted to find that our Lemon Meringue tulips were on the verge of opening!

This cheered me up immensley, as I am feeling rather distant from my painting work at the moment. I do not feel called to paint and feel more inclined to curl up in the armchair with a good book or my crochet (3 more squares completed last night folks, it is indeed becoming an addiction :)

I wish I could motivate myself at times like this - I am an excellent procrastinator and I am currently displaying top drawer tactics of avoiding. Its not that I don't like the piece Im working on, I think its because at the moment Im struggling to find enough time to devote to it...with acrylics and mixed media work I cant just dabble with it for half an hour - theres so much to get out and prepare, and then once I start Im generally engrossed for several hours. My days are quite full at the moment and come the evenings Im feeling so exhausted its enough to be twirling a crochet hook (which I do in a reclining position on a comfy sofa usually :).

Im also missing out on an art day this week too, as both my parents who usually have my little one for a day are laid up with a vile bug. Its not good news, me and my chap are meant to be off to Holmfirth tonight to see the Saw Doctors and at this rate Im not sure we'll be going - ah well, good job Im an 'everything happens for a reason' sort of girl...although Im not sure what good reason will emerge for us missing out on a good gig like that! Humph! :(

Still, on a brighter note, my sister in Suffolk has asked me if I want to pootle down for a few days - of course I would! I don't need asking twice! Tomorrow afternoon we are travelling south!! Hurrah!! Holidays!!!!!!! Im very lucky to have a sister who lives in such a pretty part of the world. Bury St Edmunds is one of my favourite places, a bustling little market town full of thatched roofs and gently subsiding old cottages with wonky windows and tiny doors! There are some gorgeous little shops and tea rooms, and another big plus point is that they are less than an hours drive away from Southwold!! Hurrah again!!!

Well, time for a coffee and a doodle in the sketch book - Im due back at the Childrens Hospital on the 15th and need to come up with an exciting design for the Magic Garden picture we've decided on for the next project!

See you soon!

J x